Similar to Russ Meyer's debut feature The Immoral Mr. Teas (1959), this barely 60-minute film follows a geeky and awkward man as he gawks at all the large-breasted beauties on show. Our protagonist is, as the title suggests, a handyman, and moves from job to job where he is teased by women played by the same woman (Eve Meyer - the then-wife of Russ). He moves from coffee-shop to office block to arthouse where he just can't seem to escape those sexual temptations. All the while he is pursued by Eve (again, played by Eve Meyer), a woman who seems to be fascinated with him and his 'masculine' behaviour, making notes and seeing him as some kind of wild beast.
There are two kinds of Russ Meyer films. Firstly, there are those with a budget which allow Meyer to show off his genuinely massive talent and produce thoroughly enjoyable and incredibly stylish films such as Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1965), Vixen! (1968) and his best Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls (1970). What are on the surface are softcore porn flicks, but are really inventive and laugh-out-loud funny, while often being just bizarre. His second range of films are made quickly and cheaply, and amplify his love for buxom women with huge breasts that would always make a huge profit. Eve And The Handyman is sadly one of these. Although we often get a glimpse of Meyer's sense of humour, the film is ultimately a bore. Clocking in at 65 minutes, it really did feel a hell of a lot longer. This was however only his second feature, and you have to admire a director who was the first person to bring an actual storyline to the soft-porn genre.
Directed by: Russ Meyer
Starring: Eve Meyer, Anthony-James Ryan
Country: USA
Rating: **
Tom Gillespie
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